Brits to pay fee to visit Europe next year under new visa rules

Travellers from the United Kingdom will have to pay a fee for the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), an electronic permit framed to boost security and enforce the borders of the Schengen Zone. 

The ETIAS will be mandatory for individuals over eighteen and under the age of seventy who will be travelling to the European country, whether by aeroplane, boat or car. It will even be required for those only transiting through Europe.

The visa applications will ask mandatory questions about the identity, passports, education, jobs, recent travel and any criminal records. 

This new visa system will also replace the current system of stamped passports, with the new visa documents being scanned electronically instead.

ETIAS registration is set to become mandatory in 2023, though there will be a six month transition period to allow travellers to become familiar with the new entry requirements.

The application form is said to be relatively straight forward and is estimated to take around ten minutes to complete online. It must be completed at least ninety-six hours before departure.

An ETIAS will reportedly cost €7 (£5), with successful applicants being permitted to travel within the Schengen Zone for up to ninety days per 180-day period.

The visa will remain valid for three years and for multiple trips to Europe, with people who apply during the transition period being permitted to use the permit for the next three years unless their passport expires.